Opinion

Washington letter writer calls L. J. Darbo’s legal opinion baseless, malicious

Dear Editor

I was flabbergasted after reading one Lamin J Darbo’s (a UK- based lawyer) article arguing without any legal basis that, Hamat Bah was not qualified to run as an independent candidate in the forth coming presidential elections in The Gambia.  Mr Darbo, who claimed to be

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Commentary Ghana/Africa

The 2012 Elections: The Juju-Marabou games begin

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong

It doesn’t matter if Ghana’s 2012 general elections is a year away; campaigning of some sorts is underway. Democracy-crazy, everyday appears to be campaigning day. The mass media is charged. Character, development issues, policies and programmes jumble easily with foul language and the irrational juju-marabou spiritual predictions. The past veers into the present and the present into the past.

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OPINION

UK-based Gambian lawyer, L J Darboe, challenges the legality of Hamat Bah’s proposed independent candidature 

With less than a day from candidate nomination for the 24 November presidential contest, there are strong indications the so-called “united front” of NRP, PDOIS, and GPDP will attempt to field Hamat N K Bah, erstwhile leader of the NRP, as presidential candidate outside any specific party colours. As the body entrusted with the legal responsibility for managing the public election process in The Gambia, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) must remain alive to its obligation in ensuring requisite fidelity to the letter of the law.

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Essay

Uganda/Africa: In the Land of Human Sacrifice

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong, Ottawa, Canada

In and out of Kampala, Uganda’s capital, the City, supposed to radiate enlightenment to some of Uganda’s dark ancient cultural practices, has failed to do so. The City is entrapped in obscurity. “The villages and farming communities that surround Uganda’s capital, Kampala, are gripped by fear.” Human sacrifices, the BBC World TV reports, are on the prowl.  For some time, Kampala is darkened by the denial of child sacrifices. Modern technology, as the BBC investigation aptly used, is helping to track Uganda’s and Africa’s malignity and putting the refutation to shame. Some part of Kampala’s mind has gone into denial and avoidance.

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There were Africans in America before the arrival of Columbus

In the little church at Esquipultas, Guatemala, is the image of the Black Christ to which thousands of Indians journey annually from all parts of Central America, and even from Mexico and South America.  The spot has become a shrine or Mecca for the Indians, and for hundreds, even thousands of miles, they travel to the obscure Guatemalan village carrying with them all of their possessions in order to have them sanctified at the famous church. 

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There were Africans in America before the arrival of Columbus

Africans in Pre-Columbian America:The Politics of Historical Excavation

(Part 1 of a seminal paper presented at the University of Belize on September 7, 2011)

By Floyd W. Hayes, III, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer

Department of Political Science, Johns Hopkins University

As an undergraduate student at North Carolina Central University in the early 1960s, I took African and Black American history courses with Professor Caulbert A. Jones.  He had been a professor there since the 1930s, and was revered by generations of NCCU students who had studied with him regardless of their majors.  During his African history lectures, Jones raised a number of questions that stimulated my interest.

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Feature: Africa & Development

Democracy or Prosperity, which comes first in Africa’s bid for prosperity?

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong

As Africa’s democracy gradually evolves, the arguments are whether Africa should concentrate on creating prosperity first and then grow its democracy later or build up its democracy first and then use it to develop its prosperity. This thinking has come about because of the on-going democratic revolutions occurring in Africa, in places such as Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, and multi-party democratic elections after elections have become recurring rituals.

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Bombshell 

Echo Special

President Jammeh builds $2.5M mansion in Guinea

—Cocaine processing allegations abound

By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-in-Chief

Consistent with The Gambia Echo’s relentless efforts in exposing the utterly criminal character of Gambia’s kleptocratic leader, Yahya Jammeh, today, we report with incontrovertible evidence that for the past four years, this self-proclaimed redeemer and anti-corruption crusader has been busy building a $2.5 million mansion in the West African state of Guinea while the majority of his people continue to live in abject poverty, malnutrition, decay and depravity.

The facade of  President Jammeh's imposing edifice in Madina, Guinea Conakry

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Miami Gambians praised for remarkable Labor Day retreat

By special correspondent, Ablie Njie in Miami.

On behalf of Gambians who came from Sweden, London and other parts of the U.S and spent the lovely weekend in Miami, we thank you for your exemplary hospitality.  To say that the Gambians in Miami deserve a big A-Plus is an understatement despite the inevitable three-year moratorium due to recent Ramadan observance since 2008.

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Bombshell

Wikileaks on Gambia

 --How the USA sees Jammeh, Darboe, Bah and Sallah  

Viewing cable 06 BANJUL548, GAMBIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION -- CANDIDATE PROFILES: BANJUL 00000548 001.2 OF 003

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES C.P. ALSUP, REASON 1.4 (b and d)

¶1. (U) The Gambian Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has  accepted the nominations of three candidates to contest the September 22 Gambian presidential election.  As expected the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has nominated incumbent president Yahya Jammeh to stand as its candidate.  Prominent attorney Ousainou Darboe is the nominee of the alliance between the United Democratic

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